Bill > SB203

This bill amends Arkansas law to create a comprehensive legal framework for outdoor recreation activities and recreational tramways, establishing clear definitions, responsibilities, and liability guidelines. The legislation defines outdoor recreation activities (such as biking, rock climbing, hiking, and using tramways) and recreational tramways (including aerial passenger tramways, chair lifts, and moving walkways), and outlines the specific duties and responsibilities of both participants and operators. The bill requires participants to exercise reasonable care, follow posted rules, understand their own abilities, and obey safety guidelines, while placing specific obligations on tramway and outdoor recreation operators to maintain safe equipment, provide warnings, and conduct annual inspections according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Ski Lift Code. Importantly, the bill creates a legal presumption that participants assume inherent risks of outdoor activities, but maintains that operators can still be held liable for intentional, reckless, or negligent actions that directly cause injury or damage. The legislation also establishes that the Arkansas Occupational Safety and Health office will have investigative authority over recreational tramways and provides a mechanism for claims against state entities through the Arkansas State Claims Commission.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb203&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R